Skepticism is natural — welcome, even — when you hear about Walden Farms‘ line of salad dressings. Zero calories? Zero carbs? Zero sugar? How could that possibly translate into a salad dressing, unless it’s a very loosely defined “dressing” that’s really just water with a dash of salt? Yet the ranch looks thick, creamy and pepper-flecked, just as it should, and so do the 19 other salad-toppers in its repetoire.
I picked up a bottle of the Italian Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, and the Creamy Bacon Ranch. Zero calories — and it supposedly has bacon in it? This I have to see.
Unfortunately, the looks don’t quite match up to reality, but it’s better than most of the generic brand low-fat salad-toppers out there. Both dressings had a aspartame-like aftertaste, prompting me to check the labels for artificial sweeteners. Sure enough, there’s sucralose (which Splenda is based off of; it’s 600 times sweeter than regular sugar, and most of it cannot be broken down by the human body, making it calorie-free). The sweetness wasn’t overwhelming though; it was just unexpected compared to conventional Italian and Ranch dressings.
Interestingly enough, the Italian dressing was thicker than most, with a more viscous or jelly-like appearance, and the Ranch was much thinner, like pouring heavy cream or buttermilk. Both were intensely flavorful. Sweet aftertaste aside, savory, smoky hints of bacon shone in the Ranch dressing, and the Italian featured a tangy burst of sun-dried tomato. It ratcheted up the flavor of my salads, enhancing them without being overwhelming. Both dressings brighten the flavor of avocados and tomatoes, and other naturally salty or acidic produce. Avoid them on salads featuring sweet fruits or cucumbers — it only pulls out that sugary aftertaste.
My water guess was half-right: The primary ingredient in these dressings is triple-distilled H20, which may account for the thinness of the creamy dressings.
As for the bacon? It’s soy, but it’s finely chopped and salted well enough that you wouldn’t know (especially if you grew up dousing salads in Bacon Bits…no judgment here!).
Would I buy them again? Maybe not those particular flavors, but I’d definitely try the oil-based dressings again, like the Italian or a Balsamic Vinegar.
Is it better for you than regular dressing? Well, I’m not a nutritionist, but I feel like sparingly sprinkling an all-natural dressing (like this one) would be better overall. In a pinch, though, this works for me.